What is a CHEC unit?

This is excerpted from one of the early documents at Monroe about the CHEC units:

The alcoves built into each room at the Center were developed by the Institute to serve several purposes. CHEC is the acronym for Controlled Holistic Environmental Chamber. The principal CHEC function is to enhance the effectiveness of individual sleep patterns.

Sleep in the CHEC unit is different. Adjusted to suit your personal needs, it will help you sleep more deeply, go to sleep more easily, and require less. You will awaken in a better mental frame, refreshed, alert, and full of energy.

Some of the CHEC features that help you attain this are:

(1) Isolation: External stimuli and distractions such as light and sound are sharply reduced. This is the purpose of the enclosure - to hold these to a minimum -as well as temperature changes, drafts, and the movement of others.

(2) Privacy: In the CHEC, you are free to be exactly as you desire during sleep. If you snore, you don’t have to be concerned about bothering someone. If you wish to sleep nude, no one can see you. You will not be interrupted during sleep unless you request it. No alarm clock is needed; you will be awakened at the proper time.(A switch on the CHEC panel turns on an outer DO NOT DISTURB light).

(3) Customized Space: With undesirable elements removed, each CHEC unit lets you adjust conditions to those most suitable for your sleep needs - by adding to the sleep environment. You can have silence or various sleep-producing sounds. You can have total darkness or different patterns, colors, and intensities of light. You can adjust the individual airflow of each CHEC to the temperature you like best for sleeping. A special mattress alters form to fit your body contour.

After you have been installed in your room, one of the Center personnel will help you become familiar with the CHEC control panel. You can then experiment to determine how you sleep best.

See the document in our archives.

What do they look like?  They are twin mattress-size spaces built into the room with full blackout curtains.  Inside the space, you have controls for the lights and sounds you want to experience.